Post on 08-Apr-2018
APPROVED:
Kathleen Whitson, Major Professor Marc Cutright, Committee Member Barrett Taylor, Committee Member Janice Holden, Chair of the Department of
Higher Education and Counseling Jerry Thomas, Dean of the College of
Education Costas Tsatsoulis, Interim Dean of the
Toulouse Graduate School
ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION TEACHING PROGRAMS IN TEXAS:
A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS
David K. Etheredge
Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
May 2015
Etheredge, David K. Alternative Certification Teaching Programs in Texas: A
Historical Analysis. Doctor of Philosophy (Higher Education), May 2015, 73 pp., 1 table,
references, 89 titles.
Before 1984, nearly 975 of teachers entered the teaching profession after
graduating from a traditional university-based program. However, beginning in the mid-
1980s, alternative routes leading to teacher certification began to emerge in the United
States. As of 2010, nearly one-third of all new teachers graduated from an alternative
preparation program. As alternative certification (AC) routes approach 30 years since
establishment, programs continue to evolve and increase in enrollment. This study
focused on the changes that have come about in the maturation of alternative
certification programs in Texas since legislation was passed in 1985. The purpose of
the study was to delineate the evolution of AC programs using a historical approach, the
study used both primary and secondary resources as research tools and employed the
use of eight interviews and the literature review for the collection of data. The prediction
of future teacher shortages, the need for diversity in the profession the political view to
privatize education, and economic recessions were all motivating factors for
establishing alternative teacher programs. In the beginning, graduation from AC
programs were perceived as not authentic teachers and not as prepared for teaching as
graduates from traditional programs. AC programs have become a legitimate and viable
option for educator preparation programs as they offer greater flexibility, staff/instructor
diversity, and multiple approaches to instruction. This data suggests that AC programs
in Texas have emerged as a real and sustainable option to traditional certification
programs leading to certification and licensure.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My appreciation goes to Dr. Kathleen Whitson, my committee chair and advisor,
for her steadfast support and encouragement. Dr. Whitson was constantly available to
me and expressed a belief in my success that others did not have. She was relentless
in pushing me to produce a better product and I am fortunate to know her as a
colleague and friend. My thanks also go to Dr. Marc Cutright and Dr. Barrett Taylor, my
other committee members for their support and guidance.
Also, my wife, Susan Etheredge, provided me the support and opportunities I
needed to pursue and complete this project. She always supported me in this endeavor
and rarely complained as I spent years in class and at the library. Thank you for your
unconditional love.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. iii
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1
Problem Statement ............................................................................................... 2
Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................ 2
Research Questions ............................................................................................. 4
Limitations ............................................................................................................ 4
Delimitations ......................................................................................................... 5
Researcher Bias ................................................................................................... 5
Significance of the Study ...................................................................................... 5
Definition of Terms ............................................................................................... 7
Organization of the Study ..................................................................................... 7
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................. 9
History of Teacher Certification in the United States .......................................... 10
History of Alternative Certification Programs in the United States ...................... 13
History of Alternative Certification Programs in Texas ........................................ 22
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................... 30
Research Questions ........................................................................................... 31
Evaluation Methods ............................................................................................ 32
Data Collection ................................................................................................... 33
Limitations .......................................................................................................... 34
Delimitations ....................................................................................................... 35
iv
Researcher Bias ................................................................................................. 35
Sampling ............................................................................................................ 35
Interview Protocol ............................................................................................... 36
Interviews ........................................................................................................... 37
Method of Analysis of Data ................................................................................. 39
CHAPTER 4 DISCUSSION OF DATA .......................................................................... 41
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 41
Summary of Methodology ................................................................................... 41
Discussion .......................................................................................................... 42
Research Question 1 ............................................................................... 42
Research Question 2 ............................................................................... 47
Research Question 3 ............................................................................... 49
Research Question 4 ............................................................................... 51
Unintended Consequences ...................................................................... 52
CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY ............................................................................................... 54
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 54
Implications for Practice ..................................................................................... 54
Recommendations for Future Research ............................................................. 58
APPENDIX A INTERVIEW PROTOCOL QUESTIONS ................................................. 60
APPENDIX B CONSENT FOR PARTICIPATION IN INTERVIEW UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS ............................................................................................................. 62
APPENDIX C SCRIPT FOR SOLICITING INTERVIEW ................................................ 65
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 67
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Before the state of New Jersey created the nation’s first alternative teacher
certification pathway in 1984, the pathway leading to teacher certification was
dominated by traditional undergraduate programs in the education halls of universities
and colleges (Chaddock, 1999). According to the National Center for Education
Information, in year’s pre-1984 nearly 97% of teachers entered the teaching profession
after graduating from a traditional university-based program (Feistritzer, 2011).
Beginning in the mid-1980s, alternative routes leading to teachers obtaining certification
began to be established throughout the United States. Feistritzer (2011) reports that the
number of teachers becoming certified in an alternative program has gradually
increased. In the report, Profile of Teachers in the U.S. 2011, Feistritzer (2011) states,
“new hires from alternative preparation programs really took off in the last five years,
with 4 out of 10 new hires coming from these routes” and the “proportion of new hires
between 2005 and 2010 coming from undergraduate teacher education programs
dropped to 50%.” In the state of Texas, educator preparation programs responsible for
certifying teachers show a similar trend as in the academic years 2006-07 to 2010-
2011, alternative preparation routes accounted for 12,571 certified teachers of the
26,432 that obtained certification.
Since the 1980s, the options available within educator preparation programs
have steadily been on the rise with New Jersey, California, and Texas being the nation’s
first states to establish alternate routes (Chaddock, 1999). As alternative certification
routes approach 30 years since initial establishment, programs continue to evolve in
1
required curriculum and content. This historical study focused on the beginnings of
alternative certification and the changes that have come about in the maturation and
variation of alternative certification programs in Texas since legislation was passed in
1985 which established it as an acceptable educational path to becoming a certified
teacher in K-12 education.
Problem Statement
As alternative certification programs in Texas continue to trend upward in
conferring teaching certificates, it is important to take a retrospective look at this type of
educator preparation program in order to give insight to the differences in alternative
certification programs from traditional programs. Also, with the proliferation of
alternative certification programs, it begs the question of a need matching the numbers
of teachers produced with openings in K-12 education. Moreover, since changes have
been made in traditional teacher education as well as colleges and universities adding
their own versions of alternative certification programs and post-bachelor teacher
certification programs, the possibility exists of alternative certification programs having
evolved to a point they no longer are truly alternative but rather a variation of the
traditional teacher certification degree. A look at the establishment and development of
alternative certification in comparison with traditional teacher certification is needed to
evaluate the continual need of alternative certification.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to delineate the establishment and evolution of
2
alternative certification programs for teachers in Texas since inception in 1985 using a
non-emergent, historical method. “A non-emergent research design means you will
pursue your focus of inquiry with qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, but
that you will collect data, and then analyze it” (Maykut & Morehouse, 2002, pp. 59-60).
Historical research is the process of gathering and organizing of background information
in a field of study to gain insight into current/future trends (Busha & Harter, 1980). This
historical approach was used to increase the understanding of the evolution of teacher
certification programs. Historical research is also used to gather and interpret
information from both primary and secondary sources (Wesner, 1994). Primary sources
are materials from the past studied directly such as writings, interviews, and personal
testimony while secondary sources are materials that researchers use to interpret
information gathered from primary sources and thus are not a direct part of the history
they discuss (Westminster Theological Seminary, 2014). The primary and secondary
sources constitute data in historical research and oftentimes triangulated for verification
of facts (Wesner, 1994). According to Berg (1998), historical research is significant
because it can assist in uncovering the unknown since some events are not recorded.
Additionally, it can help answer questions about the past and identify relationships to
current events because historical research is not the mere accumulation of facts but an
active account of past events helping communicate an understanding of past events
(Berg, 1998). When searched and carefully reflected, historical research can provide
patterns and offer critical insights of past events allowing the construction of relevant
information (McNeill, 1985).
Since the establishment of alternative certification programs in Texas, research
3
studies have been focused on teacher effectiveness and student achievement and not
the establishment of alternative certification programs and whether development has
stayed true to original purpose. In the endeavor to organize and carry out this study,
documentation was collected from primary and secondary sources. Additionally,
individuals with notable knowledge of alternative certification programs were identified
and interviewed to gain an understanding of the changes that have occurred since
1985. Collectively, these components built a historical analysis of alternative teacher
certification programs in Texas.
Research Questions
The questions guiding this research sought to examine the evolution of
alternative teaching certification programs in the state of Texas.
1. What were the motivating factors for establishing an alternative teacher certification process?
2. At its inception, what were the primary differences between the alternative certification program and the traditional certification programs offered by colleges and universities?
3. How has the alternative teacher certification program evolved?
4. Currently, what are the primary differences between the alternative teacher certification program and traditional teacher certification programs offered by colleges and universities?
Limitations
A limitation of the study is the interview process. Interviewing requires the
researcher to gather self-reported data and assumes interviewees contain no bias in
their responses (Busha & Harter, 1980). Additionally, it is impossible to know whether
4
or not the interviewee is communicating truthful statements (Walford, 2011). Moreover,
people’s memories are malleable and thus are subject to change over time. The logical
error of survivorship bias could be a limitation. Subjects that agree to be interviewed
may only accept because they have views with a strong urge to share as compared to
others whose indifference or lack of passion may simply refuse to be interviewed. Also,
the lack of primary resources could possibly be an obstacle.
Delimitations
The focus of inquiry was alternative certification programs in the state of Texas.
The Region 10 Education Service Center (ESC) is one of 20 service centers created in
1967 that provide services to school districts within a defined geographic region. The
focus was on Region 10 and how could represent the state because it contains urban,
suburban, and rural school districts. The Region 10 ESC is located in Richardson,
Texas, and serves nearly 650,000 students in over 8 counties.
Researcher Bias
I was employed for four years as an adjunct professor in the Teacher
Certification and Preparation (TCP) program at Collin College. The program was
classified as an alternative certification route to teaching and I taught classes in
pedagogy and professional ethics and responsibilities.
Significance of the Study
Alternative routes leading to teacher certification continue to emerge as viable
5
options throughout the United States. According to the National Center for Alternative
Certification (2010), teachers obtaining certification via an alternate route have
dramatically increased in the last ten years resulting in nearly one-third of all new
teachers hired in the United States coming out of an alternate program that led to
certification. Furthermore, since the mid-1980s, alternate routes leading to certification
have produced nearly 500,000 teachers in the United States. In Texas, the State Board
of Education (SBEC) reports, “alternate routes for educator preparation have produced
the largest number of teachers since 2004-2005” (Routes to Teacher Certification,
2013, p. 1). Moreover, in the academic year 2010-2011, 48% of the more than 26,000
teachers that received certificates came out of a Texas alternate program (Routes to
Teacher Certification, 2013). In the granting of teaching certificates the only route that
is trending upward in teacher production is the alternative (SBEC, 2011).
The findings of this study could aid school personnel and education policy
makers in understanding educator preparation programs as they continue to evolve
from the traditional routes to the various types of alternative programs. A historical
approach can provide insight and understanding to what makes each respective route
distinctive from the other. It is significant to understand that the various routes contain
characteristics that categorize each distinctively from one another and must be
maintained to remain as traditional or alternative so that as many options remain for
prospective teachers. Future teacher training will likely contain aspects deemed as
“best practices” drawn from all certification routes as suggested by Education Secretary
Arne Duncan (Blankinship, 2010).
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Definition of Terms
Alternative certification programs (ACP) - Teacher training offered by education
service centers, school districts, community colleges, private vendors, and other
entities, as well as colleges and universities, for individuals who already hold a
baccalaureate degree (post-baccalaureate).
Post-baccalaureate programs (PB) – Teacher training offered by colleges and
universities for individuals who already hold a baccalaureate degree.
Traditional certification programs (TCP) - Teacher training offered by colleges
and universities as part of an undergraduate degree program.
Organization of the Study
Chapter 1 introduces the research, a brief review of the research design, a
description of the purpose of the study, a problem statement, a review of the research
questions, a portrayal of the significance of the study, and definitions of key terms.
Chapter 2 is a literature review divided into three main categories that provide a
historical background of the following:
1. Brief history of teacher certification in the United States with a focus on Texas
2. History and emergence of alternative routes leading to teacher certification in the United States
3. History and emergence of alternative routes leading to teacher certification in the state of Texas
Chapter 3 outlines historical research methods and the use of interviews as a
research tool, establishing an interview protocol with interview questions, primary and
secondary sources, and various evaluation methods.
7
Chapter 4 summarizes the results of the study. The analysis and synthesis of
materials (e.g. documentation and interviews) provides a topic of themes collected into
a narrative account to provide a meaningful whole.
Lastly, Chapter 5 revisits the purpose of the study, summarizes the findings of
the study and how those findings might influence future directions of alternative teacher
certification programs. Additionally, the benefits of additional research were considered
and what could have been done differently in the research study if more time and
money were allowed.
8
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
The purpose of the literature review was to better understand ideas comprising
the scholarly writings on a topic (North Carolina State University Library, n.d.). In
historical research, it is often the case information sources found in the literature review
are also a part of data collection in the research study (Johnson, 2006).
Teachers of high quality in students’ classrooms are possibly the most
important factor of an excellent education (Roth & Swail, 2000). This factor proves so
vital that if students are exposed to just one teacher of poor quality, regardless of the
number of high quality teachers, the negative effects may threaten any future academic
success (Wright, Horn, & Sanders, 1997).
As educators and policymakers confront the challenges of the 21st century, one
challenge is the need to recruit, train, and retain high quality teachers in the United
States largely due to the approaching retirement age for many teachers as well as the
growing population of students enrolling in schools (Wenglinsky, 2000). It is the
majority opinion of policymakers that current educator preparation programs need to
increase graduates if the necessary quantities of required teachers are to be met
(Wenglinsky, 2000). The economist, Hussar (1999) estimated by the year 2008-09,
approximately 1.7 million to 2.7 million new teachers would need to be hired in the
United States. In July 2006, the Center for Innovative Thought proposed the United
States employed nearly 3 million teachers and in the next decade would have to hire 2
million new teachers to offset such challenges as enrollment increases and teacher
retirement (CollegeBoard, 2006). In September 2011, U.S. Secretary of Education,
9
Arne Duncan, stated within the next decade the U.S. will need 1.6 million teachers
(United States Department of Education, 2011). However, the predicted shortage of
teachers was not a universal belief. Teacher shortages are not from retirement alone
but likely for reasons such as dissatisfaction with teaching and job opportunities outside
of the classroom (Ingersoll, 2003). In Texas, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board suggested in a 2002 strategic plan aimed at addressing the teacher shortage that
Texas had enough certified teachers and the issue was not enough of them were
working in education any longer due to salary and workplace environment (Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2002).
The 1983 release of A Nation at Risk, with its highly critical assessment of U.S.
students’ poor performance in the fields of mathematics and science challenged the
status quo of the education establishment by suggesting America was falling behind
other nations to its own peril (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983).
Shortly after the 1983 report, the upstart of alternative routes leading to teacher
certification began. It was the passing of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
that jumpstarted the recruitment of additional teachers because of the stipulation that by
the academic year 2005-06, all public school teachers of their respective subjects must
be “highly-qualified” (Alternative Teacher Certification, 2004).
History of Teacher Certification in the United States
It is likely issues related to teacher education have been in the public discourse
ever since people decided it would be worthwhile and a beneficial practice to begin
some type of schooling for their youth (Lieberman, 2007). Though schools have existed
10
for centuries, it is difficult to pinpoint when the practice of formal teacher education and
training began (McIntyre, 2009). According to McGucken (1932), “…the Jesuits began
professional teacher preparation, including student teaching, in the mid-1500s in Europe
(as cited in McIntyre, 2009).
In the article, “Teacher Certification in the United States: A Brief History”, LaBue
(1960) defines teacher certification as “…the legal authority for a person to teach in the
public schools…” but acknowledges confusion with an actual definition has existed
since Colonial times (p. 147). Furthermore, from the book, The American Teacher, “the
history of certification is…confusing…” (Elsbree, 1939, p. 377). In America’s infancy,
during Colonial times up to 1789, minimal interest was given to teacher licensing as
local entities were primarily responsible for qualifications and it was not until the 1800s
that local control of licensing yielded to state agencies (LaBue, 1960). According to Roth
and Swail (2000), prior to teachers’ colleges in the late nineteenth century becoming
established the practice of certifying teachers was carried out by local authority usually
through normal schools. In the late 1800s, with American society increasing in
population and demanding a higher educated citizenry, teachers colleges would emerge
as a permanent fixture across the higher education landscape and emerge in harmony
with departments of education in taking control of teacher licensing (LaBue, 1960;
Rudolph, 1990).
The movement to centralize the certification of teachers under the direct control
of the state as opposed to local authority emerged in the late nineteenth century
(Angus, 2001). In the early years of the 20th century, 38 states permitted certificates
only through the state thus laying the foundation for the current system (Angus, 2001).
11
In 1870, 98% of students in the United States were enrolled in a grade below that
of high school (Angus, 2001). As students progressed into higher levels of learning,
teachers had to be competent in subject areas. Up to this point in history, only New
York, Michigan, and Pennsylvania required a standards-based exam to determine
proficiency (Angus, 2001). As quickly as required examinations began, certification by
exam declined in the early 1900s as the Progressive era took a foothold (Angus, 2001).
It would take until the 1930s before the focus shifted away from basic teacher
licensing to a focus on improving the standards used to certify teachers (LaBue, 1960).
It would be this focus on standards that would continue up to World War II and dominate
discussions of teaching certification (LaBue, 1960). However, with the outbreak of
World War II, schools faced a shortage of teachers nearly overnight as men left for war
and women assisted in industrial efforts to win the war (Studebaker, 1944). Throughout
the 1940s and into the early 1950s, the United States experienced teacher shortages
that would result in emergency teaching certificates to be granted (Studebaker, 1944).
As a result, teacher supply could not keep up with student demand and standards
leading to certification lessened in quality and quantity as student enrollment
dramatically increased (LaBue, 1960). In the post-war years, teachers decided to make
an effort to determine teacher certification policy (Angus, 2001).
Shortly after the successful launch of Sputnik in 1957, the United States became
reenergized in efforts to reform education and this resulted in much debate over teacher
education from certification standards, certification by exam, development and role of
unions, and overall locus of control concerning educational policy (Angus, 2001).
Lieberman (2007) suggested that the majority of issues in teacher education tended to
12
center around initial certification and the importance of subject knowledge.
Qualifications and standards leading to state certification were important as all states
required them to teach in their respective schools (Lieberman, 2007). Most states
required a prospective teacher to be a college graduate and to successfully complete a
set of education-related courses in order to become eligible for state certification
(Nadler & Peterson, 2009). However, Nadler, and Peterson (2009) suggested that a set
of requirements actually shrinks the pool of available applicants but acknowledge the
need of such requirements to ensure teacher quality. The focus on improvement of
standards leading to a teaching certificate that would be granted by means of an
institution’s department of education would remain the focus through the launching of
Sputnik in the 1950s to the release of the report A Nation at Risk (National Commission
on Excellence in Education, 1983).
History of Alternative Certification Programs in the United States
In the study “Alternative Certification Isn’t Alternative”, Walsh & Jacobs (2007)
and Finn and Petrilli (2007) submitted that the concept to establish an alternative route
to teacher certification was easy to understand; advocates of alternative routes desired
talented and well-educated people to gain access into the classroom despite not holding
a teaching degree. The argument posited by Finn and Petrilli (2007) centered on newly
hired teachers honing their classroom skills on-the-job in lieu of traditional theory,
methods, and pedagogy classes.
In 1983, the state of New Jersey introduced the Provisional Teacher Program
(PTP) and thus, “…created the first alternate route to the classroom” (Finn & Petrilli,
13
2007, p. 8). New Jersey’s alternate program targeted candidates with the same
qualifications as those of its traditional programs; a baccalaureate degree in their
teaching field and a passing score on a subject matter assessment (Klagholz, 2000).
Since candidates in the alternate program would not have completed the same formal
education classes as their undergraduate counterparts, the program focused on
teachers entering the classroom almost immediately while receiving support from
experienced mentors in addition to completing one year of in-service training (Klagholz,
2000). With New Jersey’s implementation of its Provisional Teacher Program, the
connection between traditional educator preparation and certification was broken
(Newman, 2009).
Soon to follow New Jersey’s lead were other states such as California and
Texas. Certification by alternate routes in the 1980s defended against forecasted
teacher shortages in addition to slowing down the number of emergency certificates
granted (Feistritzer, 2005). However, the need to avoid impending teacher shortages
along with decreasing the number of emergency certificates handed out were not the
only two factors driving the establishment of alternate routes.
In 1986, the state of Connecticut created the Alternate Route to Certification
(ARC) to address areas of teacher shortage by targeting well-educated adults to
become teachers (Connecticut Office of Higher Education, 2013). Areas of certification
are dependent upon enrollment, critical needs in subject areas, and needs of school
districts. The ARC curriculum consists of 2 sessions each year, a 9-week full-time
summer program, and a weekend program from fall to spring. The curriculum includes
subject-area instruction, pedagogy, classroom observations and student teaching.
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As states began to implement alternate programs in the 1980s, alternate
educator preparation programs began to cross state lines and emerge nationally. The
Southern Regional Education Board (2011) examined several national alternative routes
for teacher certification.
Teach for America is an alternative certification programs that was established in
1990 and funded by Ross Perot to train new teachers in “high-risk” areas such as
science, math, special education, ESOL, and early childhood education in grades PreK-
12 (2014). Princeton alum Wendy Kopp proposed in her senior thesis the idea of a
national teacher corps to address the problem of educational inequity. Graduates would
serve by committing to teach two years in an urban or rural public school. According to
its website (www.teachforamerica.org), Teach for America trains more teachers for low-
income communities than any other entity.
Troops to Teachers (www.troopstoteachers.net) was established in 1994 to
recruit mature and motivated educators from the ranks of the military (2014). Funded
by the United States of Education and administered by the Department of Defense
through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), this
alternative program focused on preparing candidates to teach in high-demand areas
such as math, science, and special education. Another focus was urban and rural
schools experiencing teacher shortages.
The New Teacher Project (TNTP) was founded by former chancellor of
Washington, D.C. public schools Michelle Rhee. As stated on its website
(www.tntp.org), the goal of TNTP was to expedite the certification process for
individuals such as recent graduates and career-changers to teach in urban schools
15
(2014). Similar to other alternative programs, a focus was to recruit those willing to
teach in “high-need” subjects such as core subjects, foreign language, and special
education in grades PreK-12.
Transition to Teaching was established in 2001 and funded by a grant from the
United States Department of Education. According to its website (www2.ed.gov), the
goals were to stop the use of uncertified teachers in the classroom by recruiting,
training, and subsequently increasing the supply of teachers in “high-need” content
areas such as math, science, special education, foreign language, and ESOL (2014).
In the 1991 Economic Report of the President, the council of economic advisers
addressed the necessity of the United States having an effective educational system
that included the following initiatives:
1. Programs of choice for students
2. School accountability
3. Alternative teacher certification programs
The report pointed out the, “… limitations commonly found in educator preparation
programs…” and used the example of difficulties crossing state lines and maintaining a
valid teacher certificate because states vary so much in credentialing (p. 46).
Additionally, the report targeted existing barriers that inhibit entry into certification
programs and suggested, “…the solution to the problem of attracting talented teachers,
however, is not to regulate the industry further but to open it up to the competitive
process…” (p. 47).
Traditionally, colleges and universities have taken the initiative to train and certify
classroom teachers (Dahlkemper, 2001). The passing of the federal No Child Left
16
Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 requiring every classroom be staffed with a “highly qualified”
teacher by the academic year of 2005-2006, influenced states to address the possibility
of a teacher shortage in their schools. States predicted that traditional certification
programs would not be able to keep up with the preparation of qualified teachers to fill
classrooms (Adcock & Mahlios, 2005). Afraid of not being able to train and
subsequently certify enough teachers, states turned to alternative means of certifying
teachers (Dahlkemper, 2001). The American Association of Colleges for Teacher
Education (2010, AACTE) reported, “There are now 125 state-defined alternative routes
across all 50 states…” (p. 1).
In harmony with the NCLB Act of 2001 forecast of teacher shortages, the
National Center for Education Information (2005) reported that alternative methods of
certifying teachers actually began in the early 1980s. Alternative certification programs
began when New Jersey approved the first alternative route to certification
(Dahlkemper, 2001); however, despite their existence approaching 30 years, Nadler
and Peterson (2009) found, “alternative certification of teachers is still controversial in
the educational community” (p. 182). Supporters of alternative certification programs
suggest career professionals and retirees who wish to pursue teaching are reluctant to
enter a traditional college-based program because of the burdensome requirements and
that alternative programs offer greater flexibility to prospective teachers (Dahlkemper,
2001). Critics offer a rebuttal saying alternative certification programs are nothing more
than a pathway to emergency licensing and such programs are hampered by
inconsistencies in set standards, course rigor, and teacher quality (Dahlkemper, 2001).
Shen (1997) discovered the same debate between programs of alternative certification
17
and traditional certification by stating, “Proponents argue that the alternative route to
teaching will improve the teaching force by reducing teacher shortage, raising teacher
quality, and diversifying the teaching force” (p. 276). Conversely, challengers of
alternative routes to teaching, “…maintain that the alternative certification policy
degrades the professional status of teaching and ultimately hinders student learning” (p.
276).
In the study, “Teacher Preparation Research: Current Knowledge, Gaps, and
Recommendations” the authors inquired as to what components and characteristics
make up high-quality alternative certification programs (Wilson, Floden, & Ferrini-
Mundy, 2001). Two findings from 11 studies concluded alternative certification routes
performed well in recruiting, “diverse pools of prospective teachers in terms of age and
ethnicity” (Wilson et al., 2001, p. 27). Moreover, graduates from alternative certification
routes were found to teach in, “urban settings or teaching minority students” (Wilson et
al., 2001, p. 27).
Alternative certification programs were to be a short-term strategy to deal with
teacher shortages (Stoddart & Floden, 1995). However, as alternative certification
became more prevalent, a dichotomy emerged with one pathway heavily dependent on
the mastery of subject-area content and on-the-job training and another pathway
stressing pedagogical mastery and professional training before entering a classroom
(Stoddart & Floden, 1995). Though alternative certification has become a fixture in
educator preparation, Stoddart and Floden (1995) suggests it was never intended to
replace traditional university-based preparation programs and furthermore, “The choice
between a traditional program and an alternate route is not a choice between some
18
professional preparation and no preparation” (pp. 7-8). To the contrary, the two routes
are, “…instead, a decision about the timing and institutional context for teacher
preparation and about the mix of professional knowledge and skills to be acquired”
(Stoddart & Floden, 1995, p. 8). The two routes coexist because they rely on state-
legislated agreements for program implementation (Ludlow & Wienke, 1994).
The trend towards increased numbers of teachers earning their certificates
through alternative programs is likely to tick upward as the pursuit to offer high-quality
schools remains high and appears to be driven by the following four goals (Kwiatkowski,
1999, p. 216):
1. Increase applicants in high-demand specialties such as math and science
2. Increase number of participants of under-represented teachers
3. Increase staffing levels of urban schools that are often housed in “difficult settings”
4. Decrease the need for emergency credentialing to meet teacher shortages
In 2001, the president of the National Center for Education Information, C. Emily
Feistritzer, was asked by the organization Edutopia what comprises a good teacher
education program. In summary, Feistritzer (2001) stated, “…getting prospective
teachers into real-life classroom settings early with mentor teachers” (p. 1) allows
teachers to experience firsthand the daily requirements of the profession with the
benefit of a veteran teacher “on call” for assistance. Feistritzer (2001) followed by
suggesting the mentor teacher is best suited for teaching the practical aspects of
teaching (e.g. classroom management) and higher education personnel should handle
the theoretical components (e.g. learning theories) of teacher preparation. In an issue
of Inside Higher Ed, the consulting firm Eduventures conducted a survey targeting the
19
preparation of teachers and concluded future teachers become prepared best by getting
the opportunity to train in real classrooms for the maximum amount of time (Lee, 2009).
Linda Milstein, director of community colleges for New Pathways to Teaching and
vice president for outreach, business, and community development at Brookdale
Community College, suggests teaching is not an easy profession and candidates must
understand that to be successful students must be associated with a demanding
program (Bradley, 2010). Milstein refers to New Jersey’s alternate programs requiring a
bachelor’s degree, certificate of eligibility from the state for certification, and to pass the
Praxis standardized test in the area that they want to teach (Bradley, 2010).
Afterwards, “graduates receive a provisional certificate but must find a job, complete
200 hours of training, and work with a mentor” (Bradley, 2010, p. 7).
In a 2005 study, Adcock and Mahlios examined differences between traditional
and nontraditional alternative programs and discovered traditional programs are more
likely to require some type of mentoring and the completion of courses in human
development and student teaching. On the other hand, the authors cautioned reading
too much into comparisons because the structures of traditional programs compared to
nontraditional programs are very dissimilar.
Since 1999, the profile of people aspiring to become teachers has changed, as
more people are entering teacher preparation programs at the post-baccalaureate level,
which would indicate the traditional model of secondary school graduates getting
certified to teach through an institution’s college of education route and may no longer
become the norm (Angus, 2001). In an article entitled, Taking the Alternate Route,
written for Community College Week, Bradley (2010) wrote that alternate programs
20
have strong appeal for college graduates because teaching careers offer a degree of
stability in an uncertain economy. Furthermore, alternate programs value lifetime
experience and maturity when considering applicants.
At Florida’s Santa Fe College, candidates over the age of 50 are actively
recruited into the career of teaching because according to Ed Bonahue, the college’s
interim provost and vice president of academic affairs, “most of them know what it is like
to work with kids, because they have raised their own” (Bradley, 2010). Furthermore,
due to continuing forecasts predicting teacher shortages approaching 20,000 by 2015 in
Florida, Bonahue thinks the demand for qualified teachers will remain strong (Bradley,
2010).
Potential teachers possess many reasons in answering why they choose to
switch careers to teaching. According to the Southern Regional Education Board’s
(2011, SREB) online resource (TheTeacherCenter.org), the non-profit identified five
reasons people give as response to changing careers in mid-life:
1. Give back or “pay back” to the community that helped them become successful
2. Put prior experience to use as many have various “real-world” skills
3. change the meaning of “work” to an opportunity to mentor or guide young people
4. Follow one successful career with another such as the military
5. Share knowledge and passion of their own respective subjects in which they are experts
Not all prospective teachers possess all of the five identified reasons given by the
SREB, and in some cases very few reasons may exist.
21
In Olson’s (2011) article, “Teaching as a Second, or Even Third, Career", it is
suggested that baby boomers are coming out of retirement because they feel the need
to be challenged, be more involved with community, and sometimes are curious about
the profession. Also, the article refers to a 2007 study from the business-higher
education forum that suggests, “…public schools will need more than 280,000 new
math and science teachers by 2015…” (p. 2).
The traditional route to becoming a teacher is to enroll in an institution’s school of
education and successfully complete classwork that culminates with a brief period of
student teaching, and finally assessing competency via a state licensure exam (Spitalli,
2009). The traditional route can be difficult to transition into for current degree-holding
adults (Spitalli, 2009). Facing teacher shortages in 2004, the state of Florida created
Educator Preparation Institutes (EPI) that purposed to encourage midcareer
professionals to become teachers and according to Spitalli (2009) permitted prospective
teachers to obtain a temporary certificate that allowed up to three years of teaching full
time while they pursued a professional certificate. Alternative certification programs
have evolved since the inception of New Jersey’s in the 1980s (Walsh & Jacobs, 2007).
In the study titled, “Alternative Certification Isn’t Alternative”, the authors Walsh and
Jacobs (2007) conclude the original purpose of alternative certification routes was the
placement of highly-talented, smart individuals quickly into the classroom without the
burden of completing any additional degrees.
History of Alternative Certification Programs in Texas
In Texas, people who wanted to become a classroom teacher were often turned
22
off by the college-based system of certification (Texas Education Agency, 1991).
Policymakers sought to remove the barriers inherit in certification through traditional
avenues, and legislatively mandated various alternative routes to certification to meet
the demand of imminent teacher shortages (Texas Education Agency, 1991). In Texas,
evidence projected a teacher shortage in the 1990s and the call went out to educational
institutions with the capacity to train, teach, and certify teachers to explore additional
avenues to expand the population of qualified teachers for the classroom (May,
Katsinas, & Moore, 2003). Furthermore, May et al. (2003) state, “an alternative
approach – a fast track to certification – has become a necessity for providing qualified
teachers for the nation’s schools” (p. 68).
When the United States Supreme Court in 1982 ruled in Plyler v. Doe that every
Texas school must educate all children living within a school district between the ages
of 5 and 17 regardless of immigration status, it would not be long before the need for
additional bilingual teachers would be felt. According to the Center for Immigration
Studies, from 1970-1990 the population of Texas increased from 11.2 million to 16.9
million (Bouvier and Martin, 1995). During the same time period approximately one
million students enrolled in Texas schools. Additionally, the Center for Immigration
Studies predicted in Texas that Hispanics would surpass all ethnicities in the classroom
by 2015 and by 2020 will encompass over 45% of all students (Bouvier and Martin,
1995). In 1986, the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) granted amnesty to
many immigrants and became a contributor to Texas’s growth as approximately one
million people came to Texas (Camarota, 2000).
23
The predicted need for bilingual teachers would not be the only driving factor for
educator preparation programs to address. With the passing of such laws as the
Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and the Individuals with Disabilities
Act of 1984, the additional need for trained special education teachers would quickly call
(U.S. Department of Education, n.d.). These laws provided the right of every child to a
free and appropriate education under the 14th Amendment equal protection clause of
the United States Constitution
In 1984, the Texas legislature passed House Bill 72 which enacted sweeping
reforms of the public school system. Reforms resulting from the passage of HB 72 were
a pay raise for teachers, revamped school finance methods, and other steps to improve
academic achievement of students. With a critical teacher shortage predicted on the
horizon (Texas Education Agency, 1991), one school district used the bill to establish an
alternate educator preparation program.
In 1985, the Houston Independent School District (HISD) became the first
alternative certification program in Texas and certified 276 teachers started in its
inaugural year (Texas Education Agency, 1991). The program offered through the HISD
was district-based and consisted of a limited amount of higher education course work in
conjunction with district-based training (Texas Education Agency, 1991). The focus was
on core and specialty subjects, vocational and special education, and administration
positions such as superintendent and principal (Southern Regional Education Board,
2011).
In 1986, the Dallas Independent School District opened its version of an
alternative certification teaching program known as Dallas Independent School District
24
Alternative Certification Program (Alternative Certification, 2013). The DISD-ACP
program differentiates itself from other programs by offering guaranteed teaching
positions within the district upon completion and a pre-paid internship salary “(An
Alternative Approach to Teacher Retirement”, 2006).
According to the Texas Education Agency (1991) report, Alternative Teacher
Certification in Texas, in a typical program the following occurred:
1. Intern is recruited and screened during the fall or spring of the year
2. Official baccalaureate transcripts from an accredited institution are submitted
3. Standardized test assessing basic reading, writing, mathematics skills completed
4. Upon passing of the exam, candidate enters pre-assignment training
5. At night, or during summer, intensive training and preparation (precedes classroom placement as official teacher of record) begins while intern keeps current job until mid-August (if needed)
6. During the full-year program, the new teacher (or intern) is carefully supervised and mentored by at least five individuals
7. After one year of internship, new teacher must pass a standardized test of certification
8. If successful in passing exam, recommendation to receive state certification is requested from program director and principal
The purpose of the program was to assist in providing an intensive, one-year program
to alleviate teacher shortages in grades K-12. Since 1985, alternative certification
programs have assisted in not only alleviating the aforementioned teacher shortages
but also the need for a more diverse teaching pool with respect to gender, ethnicity, and
high-need subject areas.
The general characteristics of interns in the Houston ISD program turned out to
be a precursor to future national programs. Candidates were degreed graduates in
25
possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited, recognized institution of
higher learning. Oftentimes, candidates were switching careers in the hope of giving
back to the community. The majority of them were minority, and an unusually high
number (30%) were male (Texas Education Agency, 1991).
Two other models of alternative programs emerged in the subsequent year
(1986) and became known as higher education (university-based) and education
service center-based (ESC) models as shown in Table 1 (Texas Education Agency,
1991).
Table 1
University and Education Service Center Based Models
Teacher Training Models Requirements Local school district Training provided by district mixed with
some higher education course work; internship with mentor
Higher education Core of training provided through university course work; collaboration with university and local district for field-based
internship with mentor teacher Education Service Center (ESC) Majority of training provided by
consultants/specialists; limited higher education supervision; some higher
education course work Source: Texas Education Agency (1991). “Alternative teacher certification in Texas” (pp. 7-8).
In the higher education model, university course work provides the core of
training to the student. The university and local school district partner in providing field-
based instruction along with professional guidance through the use of a mentor.
In the Education Service Center or ESC model, the majority of instruction is
provided through a regional, state-funded education service center and delivered by
education consultants and teaching specialists. Though similar to a mentor, and
26
possessing similar credentials, service centers relied on a master teacher to assist the
student.
Within four years of implementation, alternative certification programs numbered
13 across the state (Texas Education Agency, 1991) and all “included a number of
pilots designed with greater flexibility in how they were implemented to respond to
district needs…” (p. 9).
The growth of educator preparation programs fluctuated dependent upon type of
program since the first approved alternative certification by way of the Houston ISD.
According to data from the Texas Education Agency and the State Board of Education
Certification, alternative certification programs lagged considerably to university-based
alternative programs. Between the years of 1985-2000, a total of 68 university-based
programs were approved in comparison to a total of 21 for alternative certification
programs (Texas Education Agency, 2007). However, with the ability of community
colleges and private entities to begin providing programs in the year 2000, alternative
certification programs soared to 53 approvals compared to only 4 university-based in
the years 2001-2007 (Texas Education Agency, 2007). Currently, 62% of the approved
educator preparation programs in Texas offer an alternative path leading to certification
(State Board of Educator Certification, 2014).
Presently, Texas remains proactive in its approach to teaching shortages by
outlining directives in the Texas Education Code. In Section 21.049(a), alternative
certification is specifically addressed as a method to providing qualified people into the
teaching profession (Texas Education Agency, 2013a).
27
Texas continues to prioritize teacher recruitment in proactive attempts to reach
out and obtain a diverse pool of candidates:
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall develop and implement programs to identify talented students and recruit those students and persons, including high school and undergraduate students, mid-career and retired professionals, honorably discharged and retired military personnel, and members of underrepresented gender and ethnic groups into the teaching profession (Texas Education Code, Section 21.004(a)], Texas Education Agency 2013b). Currently, in the state of Texas, certification is required [Texas Education Code,
Section 21.003] and five basic requirements must be met for someone to become a
certified teacher (Texas Education Agency, 2012).
1. Obtain a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
2. Complete an education preparation program approved by the state of Texas
3. Pass appropriate certification exam(s) for the subject and grade level desired to teach
4. Submit a state application after passing all necessary certification exam(s) and after completing all education preparation program requirements
5. Fingerprinting for all first-time applicants as part of a national criminal background check for the fee of $42.25
Collin College (formerly Collin County Community College) on August 4, 2000,
became the first community college in Texas to offer an accredited teacher certification
program (Collin College, 2005). “The purpose of the alternative certification program
was to prepare experienced workers to become middle and high school technology
teachers,” according to former Teacher Certification Program Director Brenda Kihl
(personal communication, May 1, 2011).
In 2002, with the state of Texas granting permission for private programs to begin
offering alternative certification teaching programs, proprietary entities began to open
their doors to prospective students. Education Career Alternatives Program (ECAP,
28
2014) was the first state-based, for-profit approved alternative certification program
(Education Career Alternatives Program, 2014) and serves the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
In the same year, ACT-Rio Grande Valley became the second state-based, approved
private alternative certification program (FAQs, 2014) serving south Texas. In 2003,
IteachTEXAS of Denton opened and was the first alternative certification program to
deliver all coursework online (Iteach, 2014).
As students navigate learning in the 21st century, educators will need to receive
training to provide students with the skills to be successful. Educator preparation
programs will continue offering various pathways to teacher certification whether it is
through a traditional, undergraduate program or one of the more recent alternative
programs providing hopeful teacher candidates a path to certification (United States
Department of Education, 2011) because Texas is forecasted to have unfilled teaching
positions in the areas of bilingual/English as second language, career and technical
education, computer science, mathematics, science, and special education (United
States Department of Education, 2014). As student populations increase in Texas,
schools will continue to seek new educators to meet the demands of an ever-growing,
diverse student enrollment (Lorenzo, 2013). With recent emphasis on science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics programs (STEM), Texas schools continue
to face the need to recruit, train, and place highly qualified personnel in classrooms
(Lorenzo, 2013). Though alternative educator programs continue to morph to be more
similar to traditional university-based certification programs, both provide avenues for
aspiring teachers to obtain certification.
29
CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
This study used a qualitative, historical analysis, non-emergent research design
to study the establishment and evolution of Texas’ alternative certification programs
from 1985 to 2014. The study used both primary and secondary resources as research
tools and employed the use of semi-structured interviews and the literature review for
the collection of data to analyze and further understand this evolution.
Historical research is the process of gathering and organizing of background
information in a field of study to gain insight into current/future trends (Busha & Harter,
1980) and will assist in understanding the evolution of teacher certification programs.
Historical research is also used to gather and interpret information from both primary
and secondary sources (Wesner, 1994). Primary sources are materials from the past
studied directly such as writings, interviews, letters, and personal testimony while
secondary sources are materials that researchers use to interpret information gathered
from primary sources and thus are not a direct part of the history they discuss
(Westminster Theological Seminary, 2014). Oral history is a primary source possessing
unique benefits to the researcher. Oral history allows the researcher to conduct
interviews and ask questions they are personally interested in while interviewees
provide their own stories in their own words (Walbert, 2002). The primary and
secondary sources constitute data in historical research and oftentimes triangulated for
verification of facts (Wesner, 1994). According to Berg (1998), historical research is
significant because it can assist in uncovering the unknown since some events are not
recorded. Additionally, it can help answer questions about the past and identify
30
relationships to better understand current events because historical research is not the
mere accumulation of facts but an active account of past events helping communicate
an understanding of past events (Berg, 1998). When searched and carefully reflected
upon, historical research can provide patterns and offer critical insights of past events
allowing the construction of relevant information (McNeill, 1985).
A historical study was selected because of the desire to understand the origin
and subsequent growth of alternative certification programs in Texas. Furthermore, this
type of qualitative approach illustrates trends in alternative certification programs as
compared to traditional certification programs, as well as lends insight to future
possibilities of educator preparation programs.
Research Questions
The questions guiding this research sought to examine the evolution of
alternative teaching certification programs in the state of Texas.
1. What were the motivating factors for establishing an alternative teacher certification process?
2. At its inception, what were the primary differences between the alternative certification program and the traditional certification programs offered by colleges and universities?
3. How has the alternative teacher certification program evolved?
4. Currently, what are the primary differences between the alternative teacher certification program and traditional teacher certification programs offered by colleges and universities
As alternative certification programs in Texas continue to trend upward in conferring
teaching certificates, it is important to take a retrospective look at the various routes of
educator preparation programs.
31
Evaluation Methods
Qualitative evaluation methods for historical research include the use of
interviews, observations in the field, and various forms of documents (Patton, 2002).
Interviews use a framework of open-ended questions to gain insight regarding,
“…people’s experiences, perceptions, opinions, feelings, and knowledge” (Patton, 2002,
p. 2). Lastly, documents are oftentimes written and come in numerous forms including
but not limited to publications, reports, and responses to surveys (Patton, 2002).
Data triangulation is the use of various sources of information to establish a level
of “certainty” or validity to a study and is utilized often due to its ease of implementation
for analysis through comparing information (Guion, Diehl, & McDonald, 2011).
Furthermore, according to Yeasmin and Rahman (2012), triangulation is a process of
verification by using multiple data sources (e.g. historical documents, print media, etc.)
in studies of inquiry. In Thurmond’s work (as cited in Guion et al., 2011), advantages of
triangulation are increased confidence in collected data and increased clarity of the
research problem while the primary disadvantage is the amount of time to identify
additional resources that are oftentimes not readily available. By utilizing triangulation,
the trustworthiness of research findings can be assessed through confirmation of
findings with several data collection methods (Miles & Huberman, 1994) and
triangulated data increases confidence by “minimizing the inadequacies of single-source
research” (Yeasmin & Rahman, 2012, p. 159).
Information provided by interviewees and primary and secondary sources
contained in the literature review, were compared to the study’s four research
questions. Complete responses provided by interviewees were categorized by question
32
number and manually written on a large whiteboard resulting in each interview question
having eight responses. Upon examination, it was noticed that specific words and
phrases were common among interviewee responses to each question. Subsequently,
those words and phrases (descriptors) were coded by means of frequency and
designated as emerging themes. Afterwards, the process was duplicated with the
remaining primary and secondary sources of data contained in the literature review.
Data Collection
Documents, records, and oral histories can be classified as either primary or
secondary sources (Berg, 1998). Primary sources are preferred because they contain
direct, firsthand knowledge of information (Berg, 1998). Primary sources such as
individual interviews, archived documents in the form of personal papers and school
records, and original academic studies contribute to the literature review.
The use of interviews can be valuable because they provide depth and
perspective to a topic (Patton, 2002). Interviews allow the person being interviewed to
be more of a participant making a channel to the researcher while providing information
from their experiences (DiCicco-Bloom & Crabtree, 2006). In this study, semi-structured
interviews were used to foster open dialogue between interviewer and interviewees.
Semi-structured interviews are widely used and valued because they allow the
interviewer to delve deep into subject material by having a back and forth dialogue
(DiCicco-Bloom & Crabtree, 2006). Interviews allow researcher and interviewees to
experience human interaction through conversation (Walbert, 2002). Subjects
interviewed consisted of higher education administrators directly associated with the
33
establishment and monitoring of alternative certification programs and secondary school
administrators. The professional expertise of interviewees had four individuals with
traditional-based preparation program knowledge, three individuals with alternative-
based preparation program knowledge, and one with both traditional and alternative
preparation program knowledge. Personal communication with various individuals
related to alternative certification was used in the collection of data as a primary source.
Personal communication was not considered the same as interviewing because despite
providing information individuals were not asked to complete the interview protocol.
Documentation from the Texas Education Agency and State Board of Educator
Certification are additional primary sources.
Secondary sources are not as valued as primary sources but are useful because
they provide a general awareness of a topic (Berg, 1998). Editorials, books, and
numerous articles (peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed) found in the literature review
help compare and contrast certification programs. Additionally, federal and state
government research reports, expository essays, and issue briefs were used to gain
knowledge. Research reports, essays, and briefs provided up-to-date information from
practitioners in the arena of teacher certification and were drawn from governmental
agencies, magazines, and newspapers. Finally, lectures from two university-based
libraries provided insight on literature reviews and historical research.
Limitations
A limitation of the study is the interview process. Interviewing requires the
researcher to gather self-reported data and assumes interviewees contain no bias in
34
their responses (Busha & Harter, 1980). Additionally, it is impossible to know whether
or not the interviewee is communicating truthful statements (Walford, 2011). Moreover,
people’s memories are malleable and thus are subject to change over time due to past
experiences. The logical error of survivorship bias could be a limitation. Subjects that
agree to be interviewed may only accept because they have views with a strong urge to
share as compared to others whose indifference or lack of passion may simply refuse to
be interviewed. Also, the lack of primary resources could possibly be an obstacle.
Delimitations
The focus of inquiry was alternative certification programs in the state of Texas.
The Region 10 education service center is one of 20 service centers that provide
services to school districts within a defined geographic region. The focus was on
Region 10 and how could represent the state because it contains urban, suburban, and
rural school districts.
Researcher Bias
I was employed for four years as an adjunct professor in the Teacher
Certification and Preparation (TCP) program at Collin College. The program was
classified as an alternative certification route to teaching and I taught classes in
pedagogy and professional ethics and responsibilities.
Sampling
Purposive sampling represents numerous non-probability sampling techniques.
35
The focus was on my judgment regarding choosing participants from a population. In
qualitative studies, the identification of information-rich informants is desired because
their knowledge about the research issues is believed to be greater than the average
person (Hardon, Hodgkin, & Fresle, 2004). While purposive sampling can be
advantageous with its multiple techniques available to me, the issue of bias can be
problematic and disadvantageous.
Snowball sampling was the choice of techniques to identify and select
interviewees. Snowball sampling is one type of purposive sampling that allows the
researcher to select two persons of interest with a high level of knowledge in the
respective research to be interviewed. Afterwards, the researcher could ask the initial
two interviewees for additional subjects that might contain similar levels of knowledge
and expertise (Hardon et al., 2004). Though one advantage of this type of sampling can
be the ease and comfort of subsequent subjects likely having knowledge of one
another, one issue that can be present as problematic is that the subjects are too
networked thereby limiting variation (Hardon et al., 2004).
Interview Protocol
Eight open-ended, semi-structured interview questions were used in the
development of the interview protocol. The interview protocol was as follows:
1. In your opinion, what should an educator preparation program require to earn a certificate to teach in Texas?
2. In your role as an educator, describe your experience with alternative certification programs in Texas.
3. What were the motivating factors that led to the establishment of alternative certification programs being a viable option in Texas?
36
4. In your opinion, what impact has alternative certification programs had on the teaching profession?
5. In your opinion, how do teachers earning a certificate via an alternative certification program differ from those earning a certificate via a more traditional certification route?
6. If you were the researcher for this study, whom would you recommend speaking with about alternative certification programs in Texas?
7. Would you recommend speaking with someone that may have a different perspective than you about alternative certification programs in Texas?
8. Would you like to express any additional comments about alternative certification programs?
Interviews
Interviews were conducted in a location chosen by the interviewee with the
assumption they would be more relaxed and comfortable, thus providing the highest
quality responses possible. A handout of the eight interview questions was provided for
previewing as the interview protocol was reviewed. The interview was untimed and
responses were provided orally from the interviewee. I recorded responses on an
answer sheet before moving to the next question. In some instances, follow-up
questions similar but not identical to those in the protocol were asked for clarification to
a response. Upon conclusion of the interview, the opportunity to review written
responses was provided and interviewees were notified that responses would remain
confidential. The following people were interviewed:
• Adam Butterfield is an educator program advisor with the private company
Texas Teachers. Mr. Butterfield recruits qualified people to the teaching profession for
Texas Teachers and has just completed his fourth year of employment.
37
• Bob Lovelady is the Head of School at McKinney Christian Academy. Mr.
Lovelady has over 25 years of education experience as a secondary school principal.
He has experience supervising countless numbers of teachers that have completed
teaching training from either traditional preparation programs or alternative preparation
programs.
• Dr. Logan Faris is the principal at McKinney High School and has been in
education for over 20 years. Dr. Faris has interviewed and hired numerous teachers
coming out of either traditional or alternative preparation programs. Dr. Faris is a
graduate from a post-baccalaureate program through Stephen F. Austin University.
• Amy Northcutt is a principal in the Sulphur Bluff ISD. Ms. Northcutt has been
in education over 20 years as a classroom teacher and administrator. She works
extensively with graduates from alternative educator preparation programs because her
school district is located in a remote area of east Texas that experiences difficulty in
recruiting and retaining certified teachers.
• Sabrina Belt is employed by Collin College and supervises dual-credit
classes. Mrs. Belt is the former program director of the Teacher Certification Program
at Collin College and has worked in higher education for over 10 years.
• Dr. Chris Kanouse is the program director of Educator Preparation at the
Education Service Center Region 10. Dr. Kanouse has led the program since January
2004. Before coming to Region 10, she was employed at Texas A&M at Commerce
working in their post-baccalaureate program.
• Dr. Mary Harris is a professor in the College of Education at the University of
North Texas. Dr. Harris’s expertise is in the areas of teacher preparation and
38
professional development with a focus on the early years of teaching. She directed the
practicum experience for the UNT post-baccalaureate program from 2002-2008. Before
arriving at UNT in 2002, Dr. Harris was at the University of North Dakota (1986-1999)
and Kansas State University (1975-1986).
• Brian Garner is the superintendent of schools in the Riesel Independent
School District. Mr. Garner has been in education for over 20 years as a classroom
teacher, athletic coach, high school principal, and superintendent. He has extensive
experience with graduates from alternative educator preparation programs from his
years as principal in the Bland Independent School District because the school had
difficulty recruiting and retaining certified teachers due to its rural location.
Method of Analysis of Data
Inductive analysis originates with answers but forms questions throughout the
research process. The reason to employ inductive analysis of the data is to, “…allow
research findings to emerge from the frequent, dominant or significant themes inherent
in raw data…” (Thomas, 2003, p. 2). The goal was to construct an explanation by
establishing clear links between research questions and research findings to capture
themes (Thomas, 2003). An outcome of interviews and the knowledge obtained during
interviews, words with common meanings were sorted into word lists. The word lists
facilitated sorting the data into themes by marking specific words and phrases to
construct patterns. Coding is analysis used to provide, “meaning to the descriptive or
inferential information compiled during a study” (Miles & Huberman, 1994, p. 56). It is
the process of identifying a set of data and “coding” words and phrases to a theme. For
39
this study, information provided by interviewees and primary and secondary sources
contained in the literature review, were compared to the study’s four research
questions. Complete responses provided by interviewees were categorized by question
number and manually written on a large whiteboard resulting in each interview question
having eight responses. Upon examination, it was noticed that specific words and
phrases (descriptors) were common among interviewee responses to each question.
Subsequently, those words and phrases were coded by means of frequency and
designated as emerging themes. Afterwards, the process was duplicated with the
remaining primary and secondary sources of data contained in the literature review.
40
CHAPTER 4
DISCUSSION OF DATA
Introduction
This chapter presents findings of the study designed to provide a historical
analysis of alternative teacher certification programs in the state of Texas. The four
research questions addressed were:
1. What were the motivating factors for establishing an alternative teacher certification process?
2. At its inception, what were the primary differences between the alternative certification program and the traditional certification programs offered by colleges and universities?
3. How has the alternative teacher certification program evolved?
4. Currently, what are the primary differences between the alternative teacher certification program and traditional certification programs offered by colleges and universities?
Summary of Methodology
This study used a qualitative research design to study the evolution of Texas’
alternative certification programs from 1985 to 2012. The study used both primary and
secondary sources as research tools and employed the use of interviews and the
literature review for the collection of data. A historical study was selected because of
the desire to understand the origin and subsequent growth of alternative certification
programs in Texas. Furthermore, this type of qualitative approach illustrates trends in
alternative certification programs as compared to traditional certification programs, as
well as lends insight to future possibilities of educator preparation programs.
41
Discussion
Research Question 1
The first research question investigated the motivating factors for the state of
Texas to establish an alternative teacher certification process. The theme that emerged
from the data most often was Texas faced an impending teacher shortage as the state’s
population was forecasted to increase dramatically in the 1980s and future decades
(Wenglinsky, 2000; Hussar, 1999; CollegeBoard, 2006; U.S. Department of Education,
2011; Texas Education Agency, 1997). In each of the eight interviews, all respondents
made reference to the establishment of alternative certification programs. As families
relocated to Texas, school-aged children would enter schools at a faster rate than the
traditional educator preparation programs could graduate certified teachers (Feistritzer,
2005). As population increased, alternative preparation programs began offering
certification in areas of instruction based upon the needs of local districts. Requests
would be for teachers at the elementary and secondary levels. Region 10 Education
Service Center (ESC) in Richardson, Texas, responded to local north Texas school
districts’ requests for teachers certified in special education and bilingual education by
offering an alternative educator preparation program in those two areas exclusively.
“The educator program at Region 10 originated in 1992 because by listening to the
needs of surrounding school districts for teachers in specific content areas we
developed a program to meet those needs,” said program director Dr. Chris Kanouse.
These requests would correlate with the increase of special education students served
in schools as special education laws increased dramatically in the decades following the
passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975) and other civil rights
42
legislation. Moreover, the need for bilingual teachers correlated with the population
growth of various ethnic groups in Texas (Lorenzo, 2013). Over the years, Region 10
ESC added additional certification areas in nearly all areas of instruction recognized by
the state of Texas because surrounding districts continued to request more areas of
specialization be offered.
Furthermore, in August of 2000, Collin College (formerly Collin County
Community College) implemented its alternative teacher certification program from
Collin county school districts requests for more certified teachers in technology and
computer science. “We started small but it did not take long for the program to expand
offerings in more certification areas in response to area school districts wanting more
certified teachers,” said former director Sabrina Belt. In the following years, Collin’s
alternative program would offer certification in nearly all areas of teacher specialization.
The establishment of alternative teacher certification programs to overcome predicted
teacher shortages is more of a factor in smaller populated, rural school districts than
larger, suburban and urban districts across the state. The Sulphur Bluff ISD is a rural
district in northeast Texas. The majority of teachers in the district are composite
certified because they must teach all subject areas in their field of study. “A science
teacher at the secondary level teaches all science classes in my high school and in
many cases, a teacher certified through an alternative program is the only option to fill
the classroom,” mentioned principal Amy Northcutt. The needs assessment approach
taken by alternative programs implies that this is an effective way to address the issue
of teacher shortages.
Another emergent theme was the desire to recruit teachers with a diverse
43
background of work experience. Additionally, diversity meant the desire to attract more
men and minorities into the classroom (Shen, 1997; Wilson et al, 2001; Kwiatkowski,
1999). In the interviews, all respondents suggested the teaching profession would
benefit from more men and minorities in the classroom. “The workforce outside of
education contained professionals with strong content knowledge in the areas of
mathematics, sciences, and technology that schools could utilize,” replied McKinney
High School principal Dr. Logan Faris. A motivating factor was to attract this diverse
population with the establishment of an alternative route to teacher certification that
would was characterized by coursework teaching the nuts and bolts of classroom
teaching in a streamlined fashion and alternative programs offered a route that allowed
candidates to become certified (Texas Education Agency, 2001). This streamlined
process became more realistic when the No Child Left Behind (2001) legislation
suggested teacher quality as the passing of a content examination. The result was
people seeking a second career after retirement or a change in career to teaching had
been given a pathway to certification. When legislation such as NCLB became law, it
redefined teacher quality as “highly qualified” and subsequently placed a higher
emphasis on content knowledge a teacher had to acquire to become certified. In
addition to a bachelor’s degree, highly qualified meant new teachers had to possess a
minimum of 24 hours (at least 12 at the junior and senior level) in their academic
teaching field and pass a state content assessment. “The idea that a content
examination could substitute for teacher preparation, and in some cases for student
teaching, appealed to many career changers and retirees as they sought a quick way to
begin earning a paycheck and re-establishing themselves in the workforce,” said former
44
principal Bob Lovelady.
Economics were a factor too in the establishment of an alternative route. The
downturn in the economy leading to recessions resulted in cutbacks to the workforce
and well-educated individuals found few job opportunities (Bradley, 2010). In the 1981
recession, despite a GDP increase, unemployment increased and educated people
were without means of providing for families. The recession of 2001 brought about
similar results when the dotcom industry of the late 1990s failed (Hull, 2010) and many
professionals in the various fields of technology possessed expertise but no
employment. Moreover, without a valid teaching certificate they could not seek
employment as a classroom teacher. In an interview with former director of Collin
College’s alternative certification program Dr. Brenda Kihl, she stated, “when school
districts began to emphasize technology as a method for delivering classroom
instruction, professionals saw a chance to change careers and re-enter the workforce in
an alternate career.” Similarly, some of these professionals left the workforce via early
retirement but desired to continue working in a different career (Olson, 2011). “Career
changers and retirees not only had “real world” skills but oftentimes brought a higher
level of maturity to the teaching profession,” according to Riesel ISD school
superintendent Brian Garner. Economics also brought an unintended outcome to the
alternative certification pathway. As education funding from the state decreased for
schools, districts needed a way to keep classrooms full of teachers. In an discussion
with retired Princeton ISD superintendent of schools Frank Garner, “education cutbacks
forced districts to lay off teachers and offer early retirement packages to others, those
coming out of alternative certification programs were more attractive because they could
45
be paid a beginning teacher’s salary” (personal communication, August 10, 2014).
Political factors as they related to the passage of legislation emerged as a theme.
As alternative certification programs became established, competition resulted between
alternative programs and traditional programs (Bradley, 2010). When alternative
programs began in the 1980s, it was through school districts, community colleges,
education service centers, and universities/colleges via post-baccalaureate programs.
When private, for-profit entities became eligible in the year 2002 to offer an alternative
pathway leading to teacher certification; traditional programs experienced decreased
enrollments in their programs. In one interview, a stakeholder working in a traditional
program believed an alternative certification pathway was a method to privatize the
educator preparation process. Couple this belief with the NCLB legislation that
redefined teacher quality and traditional colleges of education that offered educator
preparation was in an unwanted spotlight because they had become substandard
(Greenberg, Walsh and McKee, 2014). In a review of the nation’s teacher preparation
programs, the National Council on Teacher Quality concluded alternative certification
programs have been a disappointing experiment (Greenberg et al., 2014). Private
entities began competing against one another and their traditional counterparts for
students and students became consumers that battled for the preparation program of
their choice and oftentimes, the choice of programs was chosen by lowest cost, fewest
classes, and shortest pathway to certification. However, some questioned the quality of
alternative preparation programs and concluded, “…the only reason not to pull the plug
on the experiment of alternative certification is that traditional teacher preparation
continues to have persistent flaws and were traditional preparation to add the value that
46
it should, teachers produced by alternate routes would never be competitive for jobs
anywhere” (Greenberg et al, 2014, p. 91).
Research Question 2
The second research question sought to answer the primary differences between
alternative certification programs and traditional certification programs offered by
colleges and universities at inception. The first theme to emerge addressed the
differences in preparation for the classroom. The original philosophy behind alternative
certification programs was teachers could receive a few weeks of classroom instruction
and then begin teaching (Feistritzer, 2001; Adcock & Mahlios, 2005). In Texas,
candidates entered pre-assignment training and classroom instruction would be
comprised of teaching practices for a beginning teacher to be in the classroom (Texas
Education Agency, 1991). Meanwhile, under the mentorship of several people, the
prospective teacher would intern while in the classroom. Oftentimes, the classroom
teacher was not yet certified during this phase of training. However, after completing a
one year internship they could be recommended to take the Examination for the
Certification of Educators in Texas (Texas Education Agency, 1991). “The traditional
certification programs found in colleges and universities held strong to the belief that
teachers be able to demonstrate teaching proficiency before entering the classroom,”
said University of North Texas professor of education Dr. Mary Harris. Traditional
certification programs viewed content knowledge to be proficient with a degree in a
teacher’s teaching field (Texas Education Agency, 1991). Strong content knowledge in
a teacher’s area of certification was important as demonstrated by the necessity of
47
passing a state exam and teachers should receive instruction in a preparation program
grounded in educational theory and practices and this gained knowledge was just as
important as a teacher’s knowledge of content (Texas Education Agency, 1991).
The second theme that emerged as a difference between alternative and
traditional programs was teachers having graduated from an alternative program were
not “real” teachers. According to Adam Butterfield, a program director for Texas
Teachers, “graduates from alternative certified programs are sometimes perceived to be
not authentic.” At inception, “alternative certification programs were viewed as an
avenue to recruit, train, and put into classrooms teachers having strong content
knowledge gained from life experiences,” stated Sabrina Belt. Adults having worked in
the “real world” would bring intangibles to the classroom that could only be obtained by
working outside of the schoolhouse. These life experiences partnered with a degree
would be more than enough to demonstrate knowledge of a subject. Traditional
certification programs believed teachers should be fully certified by the state before
entering the classroom if for nothing else than the protection of the children. The
practice of licensing teachers before entering the classroom was an issue of
professional credibility. Alternative certified teachers are not prepared for the teaching
profession and subsequently are seen as unequal among peers and heavily scrutinized.
Alternative programs provided little more than a highly accelerated preparation program
that sent ill-prepared teachers into the classroom at the students’ expense (Walsh &
Jacobs, 2007).
Additional themes that emerged focused on supervision of teachers, certification
requirements, and required coursework to complete the program. Before legislation
48
was passed for an alternate route, individuals wanting to teach had to receive a
“deficiency plan” with a college or university and enroll full-time to complete a one or two
year program usually as a full-time student (Texas Education Agency, 1991). At
inception, a typical program in Texas required the submission of a baccalaureate
degree, passage of a basic standardized test, pre-assignment training, and internship
(Texas Education Agency, 1991). During the internship, supervision and mentoring is
done by the following: the program supervisor, a district specialist, an on-campus
mentor, and two formal appraisers (Texas Education Agency, 1991). After the one year
internship, the new teacher must pass the EXCET assessment and receive
recommendation for state certification from the building principal and program director
(Texas Education Agency, 1991).
Research Question 3
The third research question looked into the evolution of alternative teacher
certification programs. The data suggested alternative teacher certification programs
evolved with the following themes. Alternative programs began nearly 30 years ago in
Texas. They fulfilled a niche in teacher credentialing when the Houston ISD pioneered
the first alternative teacher certification program to address the area of critical teacher
shortage (Texas Education Agency, 1991). Now, alternative programs certify
candidates in all teaching fields and more teachers complete their teacher training
through an alternative certification as opposed to a traditional program (Texas
Education Agency, 2007). What began as one approved alternative certification
program in 1985 expanded into 21 by the year 1990 (Texas Education Agency, 1991).
49
Alternative programs submit to outside accreditation agencies and fulfill state
requirements of offering a 300 hour program consisting of a set of standards for an
alternative educator program (Texas Education Agency, 2013a). As alternative
certification programs evolved into legitimate providers in educator preparation,
competition among programs was introduced. From 1985-2000, the Texas Education
Agency regulated the types of teacher preparation programs to university-based,
education service centers, and local school districts (Texas Education Agency, 1991;
Texas Education Agency, 2007). In the year 2000, legislation was passed granting
permission for community colleges and private entities to begin offering educator
preparation programs (Texas Education Agency, 2007). Consequently, for-profit
entities began to emerge in numbers throughout the state adding to the number of
alternative preparation programs. As of 2014, there are 94 approved educator
preparation programs designated as alternative (State Board of Education, 2014). The
data gathered suggest that competition has been a positive outcome because more
teachers have entered the profession with required credentials, overall costs of a
program has decreased, and educator preparation programs whether alternative or
traditional have become more flexible in class scheduling and completion dates for
certification (Angus, 2001; Texas Education Agency, 2007).
Proponents of traditional certification programs admitted alternative certification
programs are legitimate and viable long term as another option leading to the
classroom. In 1985, Houston ISD’s alternative certification program enrolled 276 interns.
By 1990, there were 1278 interns enrolled throughout the state in various alternative
programs (Texas Education Agency, 1991).
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Research Question 4
The fourth research question assessed the current primary differences in
alternative certification programs and traditional certification programs. The data
suggested that the two certification programs are more alike than different since the
inception of alternative certification programs. Yet, differences still exist between the
two pathways. The data implied alternative programs offered more program flexibility in
comparison to their traditional program counterparts (Dahlkemper, 2001; Spitalli, 2009).
The flexibility to complete coursework on weekends, weeknights, and hybrid to full
online classes was a significant selling point to students and mentioned in interviews
with respondents working directly in alternative certification programs. Furthermore,
Adam Butterfield of the alternative preparation program Texas Teachers says, “the
flexibility found in an alternative certification program allows students the opportunity to
work and bring home a paycheck while completing program requirements.”
Another difference was the professional staff diversity found in alternative
certification programs compared to traditional programs. Oftentimes, coursework in
traditional certification programs was taught by faculty not currently working in schools
but for the university or college. According to Sabrina Belt of Collin College, “in
alternative certification programs, instructors are very likely to be working in schools as
superintendents, principals, and other various administrative positions, thus bringing a
practical approach to instructional content.”
Another difference was not between alternative certification programs and
traditional certification programs directly but the multiple instructional approaches solely
among alternative programs (Stoddard & Flodden, 1995; Lee, 2009; May et al, 2003).
51
Currently, state agencies oversee all aspects of educator preparation programs and
provide program standards to each. Therefore, programs do not differ in what they
teach but how they teach the provided standards.
Educator preparation programs have been influenced by legislation such as No
Child Left Behind (2001) because required hours have increased since establishment.
Currently, regardless of educator preparation program, all graduates must successfully
complete 300 hundred clock hours of coursework/training, a minimum of 30 hours of
student observation, either a one-year internship or 12-week student teaching practicum
and pass two state-issued appropriate content-based exam and pedagogy/professional
responsibilities exam before earning their certificates (Texas Education Agency, 2012).
Unintended Consequences
There were unintended consequences with the establishment of alternative
certification programs. With the passing of legislation to allow for-profit entities to enter
the educator preparation program arena, the number of programs surged as individuals
coming out of the 2001 recession were seeking jobs. Though experienced in the
workforce, newly certified graduates could be hired as first-year teachers and paid at
entry level salaries as new teachers. In some locales, alternative programs graduated
enough candidates that the teacher market for certain subject areas became flooded
when the Texas legislature cut education spending. As local school districts in
suburban areas began to cut teaching staff, alternative certified program graduates
found themselves competing against many experienced teachers. In some cases,
52
alternative certification programs, such as Collin College’s teacher certification program,
were shuttered because the need did not exist any longer.
53
CHAPTER 5
SUMMARY
Introduction
This study was designed to research the history of alternative certification
teaching programs in the state of Texas. Universities and colleges dominated educator
preparation programs until the early 1980s when the state granted the Houston ISD
permission to recruit and train individuals desiring to enter into the teaching profession.
With the establishment of the Houston ISD program, an alternative pathway leading to
teacher certification had become reality.
This study investigated the motivating factors for establishing alternative teacher
certification programs in the state of Texas. The study also looked at the primary
differences between alternative certification programs and traditional certification
programs found in colleges and universities. These differences were examined at two
different points in time of alternative certification programs; at inception and current
status. Lastly, the study researched how alternative certification teaching programs
evolved in the shadow of traditional certification teaching programs.
Implications for Practice
Upon conclusion of all interviews, there was consensus that alternative
certification teaching programs in Texas have stepped out of the shadow of traditional
certification teaching programs by offering a legitimate alternate educator preparation
program leading to teacher certification and licensure. As noted by a director of one
alternative program, the two times in life persons are most likely to decide to enter
54
teaching are as undergraduates preparing for an adult career or as adults contemplating
a career change. There was also agreement among those interviewed that traditional
certification programs continue to prepare young undergraduates to enter teaching
while both programs offer viable routes leading to certification. Nonetheless, the
findings suggest alternative certification programs are better suited for individuals
needing an educator preparation program offering greater flexibility because of the need
to retain employment. Professionals working directly with alternative programs and the
recruitment of students routinely mentioned flexibility as a strong factor in an applicant’s
decision on choice of educator preparation program.
The returning adult student is more likely to choose the alternative certification
route due to the time factor. Alternative certification programs are a fast-track to teacher
certification and the ability for a person to complete the program as fast as possible was
viewed as positive by some interviewed but as a liability by others. The growing
numbers of those who choose the alternative certification route indicates a positive view
by students.
Alternative certification programs have found a niche by focusing on graduates
who want to enter teaching as a career change. Those interviewed working within AC
programs commonly said applicants admitted to either desiring or needing a career
change. The caveat to career changers becoming certified through an AC program is
the number of school districts who by policy or by practice refuse to consider alternately
certified teachers for employment. This was found most often in interviewing
professionals in larger enrollment, suburban, and well-established school districts. In an
effort to counter those school districts who deny employment to its graduates,
55
alternative certification programs have continued to serve those who seek alternative
teacher certification by listening to its closest stakeholders in local school districts and
offering certification in high-need areas of specializations. The findings of this study
suggest alternative certification programs should continue to follow the needs-
assessment approach in deciding which areas of specialization they need to offer.
State policies supported alternative certification programs benefitting from the
flexibility of the Texas State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) with regard to route
of preparation leading to certification when elected state representatives passed
legislation allowing the establishment of AC programs in 1985 and later in 2002 for
private-based programs (Texas Education Agency, 2007). The SBEC requires an
aspiring teacher to choose a preparation program from an approved program list.
Teacher preparation programs differ in curriculum and course requirements. Alternative
programs oftentimes offer more practical classes in education and choose to forgo the
theoretical-based classes found in traditional programs. Alternative programs continue
to take advantage of the SBEC’s flexibility because when referring to certification, there
are no differences between the Texas teaching certificate earned through an alternative
program or a traditional program; the differences only lie in the route leading to
certification (Alternative Certification for Teachers-San Antonio, 2014, “FAQs,” para.6).
Furthermore, in a New York Times article, Brad Jupp a senior program aide to
education secretary Arne Duncan predicted that it is a great time for individuals to enter
teaching as a second career (Olson, 2011). According to Aaron Chowning, North Texas
Christian Academy head-of-school and former graduate of an alternative certification
program, this would imply that alternative certification programs need to continue
56
focusing on the future by considering the possibility of teaching fields will emerge that
do not currently exist (personal communication, September 19, 2013). The area of
online high school courses and totally online elementary through secondary schools are
emerging as a viable alternative for homeschooling, students with special needs and
rural populations. Per a principal in an interview, the addition of a specialty in online
education would give alternative certification an edge in the instructional delivery
system.
This study appeals to further research in all aspects of educator preparation
programs and not only alternative certification teaching programs. National studies
completed by Adelman, Michie, and Bogart (1986) and another by Shen (1997), begs
the investigation into alternative certification teaching programs. Adelman et al. (1986)
studied the quality of 20 alternative and retraining programs funded by the U.S.
Department of Education. The study was conducted for federal policymakers and
provided an initial, exploratory view into the range of alternative programs offered
nationally at the time (Adelman et al., 1986). One criticism of the study was the sample
of programs was not random and in all likelihood, led to overall bias in the findings
(Feistritzer & Haar, n.d.). Shen (1997) conducted a study to compare the general
characteristics (demographics, work experience, etc.) of teachers prepared via
traditional college-based programs and alternative teaching programs. Though
considered an untapped area of research at the time, the study was plagued by
erroneous reporting of data by participants and thusly considered unreliable (Feistritzer
& Haar, n.d.).
57
Recommendations for Future Research
The development of alternative certification programs might benefit from
research on the retention rate of teachers coming out of an alternative certification
program to see whether or not those individuals truly changed to a teaching career or
viewed teaching as a transitional period between jobs and exited the profession within a
few years. While this study provided evidence to support the idea of individuals
changing careers to education, it did not address the length of time graduates continued
in the profession. Comparison of data from different regions of the country as well as
rural to urban to suburban would be interesting, but the value in the development of
area programs might rely more on comparison of demographically similar areas.
Quantification on success indicators as defined by the Texas Education Agency of
alternatively certified teachers compared to traditionally certified teachers is needed.
A qualitative component on the satisfaction of the second career teachers who
received alternative certification could assist in the continual improvement in the
alternative certification programs. If they left, why did they leave? If they stayed why did
they stay? What areas of education in preparation for the classroom would enhance
their experience as new teachers and give them greater confidence?
As for this study, the researcher would have examined the motivating factors that
led to the establishment of alternative certification teaching programs in other states.
Did other states establish their respective alternative educator preparation programs in
response to the same factors as Texas?
An additional area for study would be to examine how the hiring of graduates
from alternative programs changed over time. It was noted in one of the interviews that
58
most school administrators get into mid-management coming out of the teaching ranks.
As current administration responsible for hiring leave the profession, it is probable that
some will be replaced by teachers leaving the classroom and seeking to enter
administrative positions. With having personal experience with alternative preparation
programs, it has not been determined if new administrators view graduates from
alternate routes differently in the hiring process.
Ideally, teacher preparation whether alternative or traditional should be
continually studied and evaluated. Those who teach children influence the future and
their own preparation for that task should not be taken lightly. In the words of the
educator Marva Collins, the founder of the former Westside Preparatory School in
Chicago, when asked about teaching training responded, “What’s wrong with you as a
teacher? Don’t try to fix the students, fix ourselves first. The good teacher makes the
poor student good and the good student superior. When our students fail, we, as
teachers, have failed” (Johnson, 2004).
59
1. In your opinion, what should an educator preparation program require to earn
a certificate to teach in Texas?
2. In your role as an educator, describe your experience with alternative
certification programs in Texas.
3. What were the motivating factors that led to the establishment of alternative
certification programs being a viable option in Texas?
4. In your opinion, what impact has alternative certification programs had on the
teaching profession?
5. In your opinion, how do teachers earning a certificate via an alternative
certification program differ from those earning a certificate via a more
traditional certification route?
6. If you were the researcher for this study, whom would you recommend
speaking with about alternative certification programs in Texas?
7. Would you recommend speaking with someone that may have a different
perspective than you about alternative certification programs in Texas?
8. Would you like to express any additional comments about alternative
certification programs?
61
Before consenting to participate in this research study, it is important to read and understand the following explanations of the purpose, benefits and risks of the study and how it will be conducted. Title of Study: Alternative Teaching Certification Programs in Texas
Student Investigator: David K. Etheredge
Supervising Investigator: Kathleen Whitson, University of North Texas Department of Higher Education & Counseling Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this study is to review the historical development of alternative certification teaching programs in Texas. Study Procedures: Selected individuals will be interviewed one time answering a set of open-ended questions. The interview will last approximately 30 minutes and each participant will be given the opportunity to answer as they wish to the set of questions. Permission to record all answers during the interview and later sorted for common themes and phrases is being requested.
Risks: No foreseeable risks are involved in this study.
Benefits: This study is not expected to be of any direct benefit to you, but it is this researcher’s hope to learn more about the historical development of alternative certification teaching programs in Texas and how they have evolved in contrast to traditional certification teaching programs. Additionally, an intentional focus will be on the motivating factors that led to the inception of alternative certification programs in Texas.
Compensation: None
Procedures for Maintaining Confidentiality: The confidentiality of your individual responses will be maintained in any publications or presentations regarding this study. The results of this study will not be released to anyone other than the individuals working on this research project. Questions about the Study: If you have any questions about this research study, you may contact David K. Etheredge at (XXX) XXX-XXXX or Kathleen Whitson at (XXX) XXX-XXXX. Review for the Protection of Participants: This research study has been reviewed and approved by the UNT Institutional Review Board (IRB). The UNT IRB can be contacted at (940) 565-3940 with any questions regarding the rights of research subjects.
63
Research Participants’ Rights: Your signature below indicated that you have read or have had read to you all of the above and that you confirm all of the following:
• David K. Etheredge has explained the study to you and answered all of your questions. You have been told the possible benefits and the potential risks and/or discomforts of the study.
• You understand that you do not have to take part in this study, and your refusal to participate or your decision to withdraw will involve no penalty or loss of rights or benefits. The study personnel may choose to stop your participation at any time.
• You understand your rights as a research participant and you voluntarily consent to participate in this study.
• You have been told you will receive a copy of this form.
______________________________ Printed Name of Participant ______________________________ _______________ Signature of Participant Date
For Student Investigator or Designee: I certify that I have reviewed the contents of this form with the subject signing above. I have explained the possible benefits and the potential risks and/or discomforts of the study. It is my opinion that the participant understood the explanation. ______________________________ _______________ Signature of Student Investigator Date
64
Name of Possible Participant: ______________________________ Phone Number/Email of Participant: _____________________________________________ Contact by Phone: Hello, my name is David Etheredge and I am a graduate student at The University of North Texas researching the history of alternative certification teaching programs in Texas. It is my understanding that you have professional insight on the certification of teachers in the state of Texas? If yes, would you agree to an interview conducted by me? Date of Interview: __________________________ Time of Interview: __________________________ Interview Location: __________________________ [Repeat Date, Time, and Location] Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed and I look forward to gaining some of your insight. Contact by Email: Greetings…my name is David Etheredge and I am a graduate student at The University of North Texas in the department of Higher Education and Counseling. Currently, I am conducting a research study that looks into the history of alternative certification teaching programs in Texas and how they have evolved in contrast to traditional certification teaching programs. It is my understanding you have professional insight on the certification of teachers in the state of Texas. If you are agreeable, I would like to request a brief interview in person at a time and date of your convenience. I look forward to hearing from you soon. David K. Etheredge (XXX) XXX-XXXX
66
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